Institut Pasteur de Lille evaluated the effectiveness of Daikin’s air purifiers against respiratory viruses

Renowned French laboratory Institut Pasteur de Lille concludes from its tests that Daikin’s range of air purifiers eliminates more than 99.98% of the human coronavirus HCoV-229E in 2.5 minutes*.

• According to tests performed in the laboratories of the Institut Pasteur de Lille, Daikin’s air purifiers eliminate more than 99.98% of the human coronavirus HCoV-229E in 2.5 minutes. This virus is of the same family as SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus causing the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The units have also been evaluated as 99.93% effective against the H1N1 virus in 2.5 minutes.  H1N1 is the virus causing common flu.
• This means Daikin’s air purifiers are an additional measure in the fight against respiratory diseases. The compact plug-and-play purifier can strongly contribute to reducing the risk of respiratory virus transmission.
• This recognition is a milestone in the plan of Daikin to become a major player in the air purification business in Europe, Middle East and Africa.

Tested effectiveness against coronavirus

As a specialist in air quality management, Daikin sees it as its mission to provide innovative solutions and has been selling air purifiers for over 45 years. Its air purifiers and patented air purifying technology, which is applied in other Daikin equipment, have long since proven their effectiveness against air pollution, as well as seasonal pollen and viruses.

To reinforce the claim of the effectiveness of its technology, Daikin Europe N.V. entrusted the French laboratory Institut Pasteur de Lille with the testing of its range of air purifiers. It has now been formally proven that the Daikin models eliminate more than 99.98% of the human coronavirus HCoV-229E in 2.5 minutes. This is an important achievement.

Institut Pasteur de Lille performed the test with the virus HCoV-229E, which is a coronavirus closely related to SARS-CoV-2. For safety reasons, the SARS-CoV-2 virus itself was not used. The fact that the two viruses are of the same family, is a strong indication that Daikin air purifiers are important weapons to reduce virus transmission risk and help combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

The effectiveness of the Daikin air purifiers is achieved through a combination of the high performance electrostatic HEPA filter, which traps the virus, followed by an intense exposure to Daikin’s patented Flash Streamer technology, which eliminates the virus.

The institute has also tested the air purifiers for effectiveness against H1N1, the virus causing seasonal flu. Under the same test conditions, Institut Pasteur de Lille concludes from its study that the Daikin air purifiers eliminate more than 99.93% of this H1N1 virus in 2.5 minutes. This demonstrates that these units are also very performant in combatting flu.

Air purification and ventilation are key to healthy indoor environments

Daikin air purifiers purify indoor air by circulating it through the unit and letting the air pass a multitude of filters and purifying technologies. Typically the units are used in residential settings, small offices, retail shops, class rooms, medical waiting rooms and doctor cabinets. The airflow of a Daikin air purifier is around 330 m³/hour. This means that the air volume of an average room flows through the unit multiple times per hour.

M. Olivier Luminati, Project Manager Ventilation and Air Purification, who has worked closely with the Institut Pasteur de Lille on Daikin’s testing project, says: “The test results are great news for society. Just when everybody is preparing for a return to office and normal life, we can create the conditions to do so in a safer way. Daikin’s commitment to healthy indoor environments has resulted in a wide portfolio of air filtration and purification products. We use these technologies in our air conditioning, heating and ventilation solutions, for both small and large building applications. We can basically help anyone with a need for clean and fresh indoor air to find the right solution.”

Indoor air quality has a big influence on people’s performance and well-being. There are many factors that influence air quality, such as PM2.5 particles, allergens, air humidity and so on. Daikin has recognised this challenge already a long time ago and launched its first air purifier in Japan in 1975. M. Anthony Dimou, General Manager of Daikin’s air purifying business in EMEA: “The obtained results by Institut Pasteur de Lille are a breakthrough for us and society. I am confident that Daikin can become the reference company for indoor air quality management in the EMEA region.”

* Detailed test results per type of Daikin air purifier:

Daikin device MCK55WVM (commercial name MCK55W), tested by Institut Pasteur de Lille, removes 99.996 % of Human Coronavirus HCoV-229E in 2.5 minutes running time at ‘turbo’ speed in laboratory conditions (air-tight chamber with inner volume 0.47 m³, no air renewal). Human Coronavirus HCoV-229E is different from the virus responsible for COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, but belongs to the same family of coronaviruses.’

‘Daikin device MC55WVM (commercial names MC55W/VB), tested by Institut Pasteur de Lille, removes 99.98 % of Human Coronavirus HCoV-229E in 2.5 minutes running time at ‘turbo’ speed in laboratory conditions (air-tight chamber with inner volume 1.4 m³, no air renewal). Human Coronavirus HCoV-229E is different from the virus responsible for COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, but belongs to the same family of coronaviruses.’

‘Daikin device MCK55WVM (commercial name MCK55W), tested by Institut Pasteur de Lille, removes 99.986 % of Influenza A virus subtype H1N1 in 2.5 minutes running time at ‘turbo’ speed in laboratory conditions (air-tight chamber with inner volume 0.47 m³, no air renewal).

‘Daikin device MC55WVM (commercial names MC55W/VB), tested by Institut Pasteur de Lille, removes 99.93 % of Influenza A virus subtype H1N1 in 2.5 minutes running time at ‘turbo’ speed in laboratory conditions (air-tight chamber with inner volume 0.47 m³, no air renewal).’

For more information, please visit:

Daikin Indoor air Quality Innovations:  https://www.daikin.eu/en_us/about/daikin-innovations/indoor-air-quality.html

Daikin air purification product page: https://www.daikin.eu/en_us/solutions/for-your-home/air-purification.html

Daikin Flash Streamer Technology information : https://www.daikin.eu/en_us/about/daikin-innovations/indoor-air-quality/for-your-home/daikin-streamer-research-institute/streamer-technology.html

Institut Pasteur de Lille website: www.pasteur-lille.fr

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